18 Rajasthan women die after childbirth, minister says cause unclear, orders probe
Eighteen women have died following childbirth in Rajasthan since May, while seven others are undergoing dialysis after suffering kidney failure. The alarming situation has prompted
Eighteen women have died following childbirth in Rajasthan since May, while seven others are undergoing dialysis after suffering kidney failure. The alarming situation has prompted the state government to order a comprehensive investigation into the spate of maternal deaths across government hospitals. The deaths have caused heightened concern after nine women died in Bhilwara and Banswara between July 5 and July 10, triggering panic among patients and their families and raising questions about maternal healthcare services in the state. Read Full Story Among the latest cases, five women died within six days at the maternity hospital attached to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Bhilwara after undergoing caesarean deliveries. Hospital records show that all five women developed complications after surgery and were shifted to the intensive care unit, where they died during treatment. The Bhilwara deaths came after five maternal deaths were reported in a government hospital in Kota in May. In June, six women developed kidney failure following caesarean sections in Bikaner, two of whom later died. Seven women linked to those cases remain on dialysis. As concerns mounted, Rajasthan Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar said the pattern of deaths had surprised authorities and that experts had been called in to determine the cause.
"It is surprising to us that the deaths are occurring so simultaneously that we can't understand why. Initially, we thought the deaths were due to the heat, but now the heat has passed," Khimsar said. The minister said senior officials, hospital principals and superintendents from affected districts, including Kota, Jodhpur and Bikaner, had been summoned for discussions. He added that the government had sought the help of leading gynaecologists from across Rajasthan to conduct a detailed investigation, similar to an earlier review carried out by a team from AIIMS Delhi. "While the blood reports are clear and everything else seems in order, we need to identify the underlying reason for these occurrences," the minister said, adding that action against doctors or officials could only be taken if negligence, carelessness or a specific medical error was established. In response, the health department has ordered an audit of medical records, treatment protocols, emergency response systems and medicines used in the affected hospitals. A special team of experts from Jaipur has been formed to conduct the review. Meanwhile, the families of victims have accused the hospital administration and doctors of negligence. Their relatives staged protests inside the hospitals, seeking answers and justice.
The BriefWire